What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

I want to spend time getting to know the student and asking them how they learn best, so that I know what will or won't work as far as helping a student goes.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I want to provide them with resources that they can access outside of class or tutoring lessons, in addition to letting them lead a lesson with what they want to learn.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would learn what sorts of incentives are effective for each particular student, and do what I have to in order to make those incentives work.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

I would try to figure out what it was about the skill or concept that was giving them trouble, and I would work with them to brainstorm ways that would help them learn it better, in order to involve them in their own learning process.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

I would want to give them strategies of how to understand text, such as with graphic organizers like Venn diagrams or story maps, in addition to encouraging a student to think objectively about what they are reading, either through giving them questions about a reading to answer, or by asking them to give their own opinion or what they are reading. I think it is important that a student be able to express where they are having difficulties, and helping them identify their own struggles will help both of us figure out what to fix.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

I have found that games almost always work. If the subject is categorical, games like jeopardy are effective, and for other things, matching games and word puzzles and other such games work wonders. When you can take the student's mind off of their struggle and teach them how to think about a subject in a new light, they may be more inclined to learn more about that subject.